Sugar cookies
Source of Recipe
First published in Chatelaine's 12/2003 issue.
List of Ingredients
5 to 5-1/2 cups (1.25 to 1.375 L) all-purpose flour
2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder
1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) salt
1-1/4 cups (325 ) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2-1/2 cups (625 mL) granulated sugar
4 eggs
4 tsp (20 mL) vanilla
Recipe
1. In a large bowl, using a fork, stir 5 cups (1.25 L) flour with baking powder and salt. In another large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter with sugar on medium-high until well mixed, at least 5 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down side of bowl as necessary. Then beat in vanilla just until well mixed. Using a spoon, gradually stir in flour mixture just until mixed. Overmixing will toughen cookies. Then, if dough is too sticky to form into a ball, stir in remaining 1/2 cup (125 mL) flour, 2 tbsp (30 mL) at a time, until dough is soft but not sticky. You may not need all of flour. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Form each into a ball, then flatten each slightly into a disc. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour or up to 3 days. Or freeze up to 1 month.
2. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375F (190C). Lightly spray or oil 2 baking sheets or line with parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough no thicker than 1/4 inch (0.5 cm). Cut out shapes. (See below for decorating variations.) Place on baking sheets about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Bake in centre of preheated 375F (190C) oven, rotating sheets halfway through, until cookie edges are lightly golden, 8 to 10 minutes depending on thickness. Remove from oven. Let cool on wire racks. Store in an airtight container in a cool place or in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks.
VARIATIONS
Following the recipe above, try these:
Sugar Cookie Star and Jam
Cut out large stars or rounds and place on an oiled baking sheet. Cut out a small star or round from centre of half of cookies. Remove cut-out pieces. Save for re-rolling. If you want a sparkly sugar coating on cut-out cookies, lightly brush with water, then generously sprinkle with granulated or coarse sugar. Or leave cookies plain to decorate later. Bake cookies as above. Cut-out cookies will need slightly less baking time. Let cookies cool. On the day you serve cookies, lightly spread whole cookies with apricot or seedless raspberry jam or a thin icing. Cover with cut-out cookie tops. To dress up plain cookie tops, lightly dust with icing sugar or drizzle with icing just before placing on jam-covered bottoms.
Chocolate Drizzle
Drizzle baked cookies with melted white and/or dark chocolate.
Double Sugar Cookies
Before baking cookies, brush with water, then sprinkle with granulated or coarse sugar.
Colourful Sugar
Place dough cut-outs on baking sheets. Brush with water. Sprinkle with coloured sugar or decorate with silver balls. Bake.
Lemon Drizzle
On the day of serving, stir 1 cup (250 mL) icing sugar with 3 tbsp (45 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice. Mixture should be thick enough to coat a spoon yet thin enough to drizzle. Thin with a few more drops lemon juice, if needed. Place baked cookies on a rack over waxed paper. Dip tines of a fork in lemon drizzle. Move fork back and forth over cookies to create a zigzag pattern.
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